Wall Street Fear Index Still Signaling Calm After CPI Inflation Report

Wall Street’s best-known gauge of fear and uncertainty was still indicating low volatility on Thursday, even after a higher-than-expected inflation reading appeared to slam the door on the Federal Reserve being able to cut interest rates by much in 2025.

The Cboe Volatility Index, which tracks S&P 500 options contracts and trades under the ticker VIX, jumped when the Bureau of Labor Statistics published its monthly consumer-price inflation report, but then retreated. On Thursday, it was at just under 16–any reading of under 20 tends to indicate relatively low volatility.